Interview: Irene Venetsanou
Luca Curci talks with Irene Venetsanou during CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2021 and THE BODY LANGUAGE 2021 at THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space.

Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Irene Venetsanou has been living and working in Geneva, Switzerland since 2009. Earlier she spent 7 years in London, UK, completing her studies and working. Irene’s pieces are handcrafted through a process that is almost ritualistic and are noted for their asymmetrical lines, and their organic and earthy feel. All the elements of her craft come from nature and her own personal memories. Her pathos for faulty, fractured lines and vulnerability has strongly affected her work over the years and has shaped her as an artist. Always with respect towards her inner creative voice, Irene’s pieces aim to empower her innate creative instincts. Her objective constantly remains intact over the years as an artist and creator: to let her creative flux develop on its own, with as less conscious intervention as possible, yet always pushing the boundaries of clay, testing how far this creative stream can take her before falling off the edge.

Luca Curci – Which subject are you working on?
Irene Venetsanou – I am currently in the midst of exploring asymmetrical shapes and forms, rooted in the beautiful, proud and rough Cycladic landscape of my home country Greece. I enjoy taking the time with my subject in order to understand it and make it mine, feel and explore its potential. I also take pleasure in working with more than one subject, at the same time.

LC – How did you get to your current artistic practice?
IV – It’s the result of a symbiosis between my admiration for the imperfect and my personal memories and feelings, both guiding me in my quest for inspiration.

LC – How do you choose your subjects? Is it a reasoned or an instinctive process?
IV – It is a spiritual connection, a relationship between nature and harmony, between time and aesthetics.

LC – Do visitors’ suggestions enrich yourself and your art?
IV – I absorb visitors’ feelings, reactions and thoughts, without doubting or silencing my inner voice in any way.

LC – How do you feel when you see your work completed?
IV – When I decide that my piece is completed, I want to set it free, I want to see it fly. It’s part of the procedure of finding a new love, a new exciting purpose that fulfills me.

LC – Can you explain something about the artworks you have in our exhibition?
IV – These two pieces are part of a coral series. The sea was my source of inspiration. Once you are underwater, everything seems peaceful and serene. You can see the underwater life, as well as the fauna, moving languidly, able to feel its freshness and the internal life.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this festival? How did it inspire you?
IV – The asymmetrical yet natural shapes of the body, the movement of the language and the light of Venice, inspired me to create these two, organic and earthy objects to celebrate inner life.

LC – Would you suggest a collaboration with us? What do you think about our services?
IV – I am pleased with the level of organization behind this event, and I am also thankful for your support, both on a personal level, as well as to all the artists. I would be very keen on participating in future festivals and exhibitions organized by you.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
IV – Having the opportunity to participate in this exhibition offered me the chance to shed light on my pieces, and let them “fly”, find new meanings and discover new worlds, for which I am thankful.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
IV – It was pleasant cooperation and I like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that contributed to this exhibition and made it possible to happen despite the current challenges the art world is facing today.